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Buchnevich has earned a spot on the Rangers’ top line
Bobby Bevilacqua
Pavel Buchnevich, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad celebrate a goal in a preseason game against the Flyers. Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images.
The three best forwards during the Rangers preseason all happened to play on the same line. Mika Zibanejad looks like everything Derick Brassard was plus more while Chris Kreider has been playing like a man on a mission, aggressively skating and looking to expand on two consecutive 20 goal seasons. But the biggest surprise has been rookie Pavel Buchnevich.
Buchnevich looks like a lock for the opening night lineup, marking an NHL debut for the 21 year-old after spending parts of the last four seasons in the KHL. Despite the culture shock that comes from moving to North America, as well as adapting to the smaller ice, Buchnevich has looked like a poised NHL veteran and looks ready to contribute with the Rangers.
While it was Harvard grad Jimmy Vesey that won the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award for the best Rookie at training camp, Buch had to be a close second. It took him until the final preseason game to score his first goal, but he could have had a lot more than that. In terms of creating chances, Buchnevich may have been one of the best at creating chances for others, putting himself in good positions, and getting shots on goal. If it wasn’t for the extraordinary play of some of the goalies that he faced, there probably would have been a few more goals on his stat sheet. He did finish with a goal and two assists in four games.
Boo Nieves might be more than just AHL depth
Bobby Bevilacqua
Cristoval “Boo” Nieves skates in his lone preseason game against the Flyers. Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennet/Getty Images.
The talk of the New York Rangers training camp and preseason has been the amount of talent in the forward group, as well as who will be playing on the fourth line? With the emergence of Brandon Pirri and Josh Jooris coming back for the last preseason game, everything is still a bit murky when it comes to the structure of the four lines.
However, one name that never seemed to be on anyone’s radar was Cristoval “Boo” Nieves, the Rangers’ 2012 second round pick who spent the last four years at the University of Michigan. He missed most of training camp with an injury suffered during the Traverse City Tournament, but suited up for the final preseason game against the Flyers. Nieves played over 14 minutes and was a -1 with three shots on goal and some time spent on the penalty kill.
In his senior season, Nieves scored 31 points (10-21-31) in 35 games, and in eight games with the Wolf Pack, he scored another five points (2-3-5). Nieves is a big, strong center at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. He’s always been known as a good defensive player and excels on the penalty kill. Read the rest of this entry
Stepan and Brassard are good, but do the Rangers need a superstar center?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
When it comes to forward depth, especially at center, the Rangers are pretty good in that respect. Rick Nash, Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, JT Miller, Jesper Fast, Viktor Stalberg, Kevin Hayes and Oscar Lindberg doubling as wingers.
More recently, the Rangers have seen a lot of improvement when it comes to the talent and depth of their centers. Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan have gotten better and better with each passing season, cementing themselves in the top six. Hayes has shown that he can be a playmaker down the middle, and Dom Moore and Oscar Lindberg are strong two-way forwards best suited for a bottom six role, or a fourth line player.
When the Rangers acquired Rick Nash, they were looking to add a superstar to their roster. Marian Gaborik wasn’t enough, and outside of last regular season, Nash hasn’t been a “superstar” per say. Read the rest of this entry
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